Of Thunderstorms and Riverbeds
by skylightblaze
Summary: Who knew that Lucy, The Light of Fairy Tail, was slowly slipping away… *P.S. This FanFic is a Two-Shot!*
1. Thunderstorms

As she jumped in the puddles of water in her pink and white polka-dotted rain boots, Lucy took in the scent of the thunderstorm, not caring that her heather gray tank-top and onyx miniskirt were becoming soaked in the rain. She began to twirl gracefully in the storm with her arms spread-out and allowed the tears that have been bottled up inside, freely fall from her once warm, hickory-brown eyes.

Today was when her mother died, July 7, x777. She knew that was when the first generation dragon slayer's dragons disappeared as well. Atleast they have the luxury of faith, that maybe, their foster parents were alive out there and watching over them. She, however, did not.

Lucy slowed down her elegant twirls and resumed hopping in the puddles and kicking nearby pebbles into the canal beside her. Her tears continued as well, trailing down her cheeks and falling onto the cobblestone path. She was glad that her sobs were concealed by the rain. That is, for now.

She wondered why her blood relatives were taken away from her. Sure, Lucy had Fairy Tail, her nakama, but it was nice to have one of your parents by your side and guiding you every step of the way. Yet again, she had none. Either way, her mother was sent to heaven and her father had turned into a cold-hearted business man after her mom's departure. When he had realized his mistakes and was in search of becoming a better man and father, she was stuck on Tenroujima Island, sacrificing seven years of her life as he left Earthland and reunited with Layla, her mother.

Lucy was bearing the pain all alone and had kept this burden on her shoulders. _Alone_. Natsu had saw her when this happened, and when he did, she was letting only a small fraction of the tremendous sorrow she was feeling escape and show. Not very many guild members noticed her slight change in demeanor, and she'd like to keep it that way. Though what's being revealed is sadness and lethargy, her feelings on the inside were consuming her entire being, shredding each and every fiber of her cheery and bubbly self away, slowly and painfully.

Evidently, her suffering wasn't enough already.

Unable to cope with the pain anymore, Lucy collapsed onto her knees in the middle of the pavement and wept. Not wanting to be a burden, she was holding Plue and Loke's gate closed and started to succumb to the guilt that's been building up and attempting to burst from the bottle it's been stored in deep within her heart and clawing at the walls.

Lucy placed her palms onto the rough stone under her and lowered her head in sorrow and shame. To her, she's kept a blockade up, and now, just to let it shatter from the large quantity that has been adding up is shameful. She's kept it up for so long. So why not a little longer? Yeah, like that's going to happen. She curled up into a ball and continued to sob. Even though it's been almost an hour, the tears kept falling.

She slowly and shakily rested on her knees, refusing to let herself slip away. She was a Fairy Tail mage goddammit, and she was certainly going to act like one. Ignoring the pain and blood dripping from her palms and legs, she screamed such a heart-wrenching cry. Her roar unwavering and strong, yet so fragile and broken. So many contradicting emotions were battling within her heart and were portrayed by her sorrowful howl.

In the pine forest nearby, Laxus heard this anguished cry and wandered his way towards the origin. What really shocked him was who it's owner was. Who knew that the Light of Fairy Tail was really a flickering beacon. He saw her tear-stained face, the smudges of blood on her skin, the cuts on her knees, and all-in-all how she was so… broken. What really got to him was her eyes. Those once bright, warm, and caring, hickory-brown eyes were dull, lifeless, and gray. He never knew that one could experience so much despair, that it would make the irises of your eyes gray. To where all you could see is black and white, no colors.

Laxus thought that no way, could she be the Light of Fairy Tail, but he saw first-hand why Lucy truly was and deserved the nickname. She slowly stood, and collapsed onto one knee, causing her to grunt and take a sharp intake of breath in pain.

Once again, she stood and yelled to the top of her lungs, "I am Lucy Heartfilia, nicknamed the Light of Fairy Tail! I will not show my despair to my fellow comrades and nakama! I serve as their beacon of hope and will continue to do so until the day I die! No. I am not Lucy Heartfilia. I am... LUCY OF FAIRY TAIL! I AM POLARIS OF FAIRY TAIL!" and as she said the last few sentences, she raised her hand into the dark sky and made the guild's sign.

Falling onto her knees yet again due to exhaustion, Loke appeared beside her and gasped, "No! Lucy, don't you dare!" She lifted up his key and swiped the air. "DON'T YOU DARE LU–"

"Force gate closure! Leo the Lion!" And the celestial being shimmered back into the celestial realm, demanding her to allow him to help. With a smile, her eyelids closed as she passed out and fell into the canal adjacent to her.

Snapped out of his stupefied trance, Laxus sprung into action and lightning teleported himself to her previous spot and lifted her out of the river. He gently placed her down onto the cobblestone pathway and wrung out as much water as he could from her soaked clothing and wrapped his coat around her.

Entering her apartment through the window, he placed her tenderly onto the bed and wrapped his coat tighter around her shivering body and placed his headphones onto her ears. He made his way to the kitchen and started to sink deeper into his reverie.

He had no idea why he had just put his headphones on her, but apparently, she seemed to like the feeling and his music. Laxus glanced at the celestial mage, his silver-blue eyes lingered on her sleeping form for a few seconds more before continuing to make her soup.

Why he cared for the blonde-haired beauty was beyond him. But his main focus was why she looked so… empty. As if her glass walls shattered and pierced her heart, as if she was in so much pain and suffering that it became too much. Seemingly, no one knew of this because she was given the title of The Light of Fairy Tail. Maybe she felt that in order for her comrades to stand strong, she needs to? Or maybe vice versa? Whatever the situation was, he was going to dig Lucy out of what she was buried under. Whether she liked it or not.

Laxus sighed when he finished and looked at the girl in front of him. He had no idea what was devouring her, but he decided, "I swear to you, that I will do everything in my power to help you conquer your anguish. I swear it, Lucy."

He himself did not know why, but he felt a sense of protection for the blonde. Especially after witnessing first-hand why she was called either The Light of Fairy Tail or Polaris of Fairy Tail. He felt responsibility for the mage sleeping in front of him, and Laxus had no idea why, but whatever is causing his Lucy to suffer from such despair, he will be alongside his beauty the whole entire way to vanquish the darkness tainting _his_ light. _His_ Lucy.

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_**TWO-SHOT**** FANFICTION!**_

**Just wanted to get that out there, but this is something I just came up with and I decided to share this with you!**

**I hope you enjoyed this FanFic and thank you for reading, following, favoriting, and/or reviewing. Oh, just in**

**case you didn't get the _"__Polaris of Fairy Tail"_ nickname, then here's what I mean. First off, Polaris is the**

**Northern Star and a part of the Ursa Minor constellation. Second, Sailors and pirates use this star to**

**guide themselves home or to identify directions. And Lastly, I thought this star really portrays**

**Lucy in a way that's accurate and unique... so yeah!**

**Thanks again! ~ Light**


	2. Riverbed

Lucy roused from her slumber to find herself wrapped in Laxus's coat and wearing his headphones. Then it dawned on her, _'Oh my god… did he hear?!'._

Memories of yesterday came rushing to her head, making her head throb. She sat on the edge of her bed and read the note on the nightstand, clutching her head during the process.

* * *

_Blondie, _

_You can wear my coat and headphones for now until I come back to the guild later today. If you need a shoulder to cry on… I'll be that man with the ruined, tear-stained shirt for ya._

_P.S. There's soup on the counter as well._

* * *

She giggled at his choice of wording as she stood up and placed the soup in the microwave. What really pricked her interest was that he was… compassionate towards her. Laxus almost never showed much affection towards the guild members except for the Raijinshuu. Even so, Lucy could easily read someone by their eyes, and she could tell that Laxus truly did care for their comrades. The mind-boggler to her was why he was expressing care towards her, maybe even more than the average member.

She shrugged. Who knows?

She sighed when the microwave beeped, signaling that the food was warm. Lucy really did like his large coat on her, it felt nice, especially with the headphones still hugging her ears.

Apparently, Laxus preferred Krewella over Nickelback… Shocker.

Lucy set her empty bowl in the sink and placed Laxus's items on the bed before walking into the shower. She stepped into the bath and trailed off, deep within her thoughts. Can she trust him to help her with the pain? Or should she just act as if this never happened once more? For Lucy, her eyes showed her emotion, it was a trait she had possessed from her mother. If you really focus on her eyes, you're able to know what she's feeling. It was the reason why these past couple of months, Lucy can hold your gaze for only so long until you had to look away. Her eyes were so empty inside, so broken, yet still fending strong. Maybe she can find more strength in Laxus?

No. Yes? No…

It had become a mantra by now, No. Yes? No…

Lucy served as a beacon of light for Fairy Tail, she was their Polaris. Yet she felt selfish for getting others involved. When in reality, it was selfish for not allowing nor getting them involved. She always provided everyone with a bright smile and a pick-me-up whenever needed, when really, she was the one that needed what she provided.

Sometimes the person who tries to keep everyone happy is the loneliest of the bunch.

Lucy was really considering having Laxus support her in bearing the pain. That is, if his offer was genuine and still out there. At the same time, she was fighting off the consideration and making sure that she's not a burden to everyone else. She sighed and exited the bathroom, clad in a rose colored bath towel.

Changing into a white fitted tank-top, black combatant boots, and a dark gray miniskirt, she put on Laxus's gear along with her keys and weapons before heading towards the guild hall.

Entering with a gloomy aura, she sat down on her usual spot at the bar and ordered the usual. "Lucy, are you okay? Why are you wearing Laxus's stuff?" Mirajane asked, devoid of her usual matchmaker mood due to her concern for the celestial mage.

"Yeah, just wanna be alone today. Oh, and Laxus lent me this stuff 'till he gets back." Lucy replied, earning a few shocked glances towards her way as she simply sipped on her strawberry milkshake, avoiding eye contact with her fellow guild members.

"That's it! Cut the crap Bunny-girl!" Gajeel yelled, as everyone turned their shocked attention towards the iron dragon slayer. "For the past few months something's been wrong, so spill. _Now_."

Lucy sighed, knowing there's no avoiding his concern. "Okay, you got me." She said, drawlingly. "Here, this'll explain."

The blonde-haired mage went ahead and settled her gaze into his eyes, looking directly into his crimson, slitted pupils. Saying that Gajeel and the guild were shocked was an understatement. His eyes widened as he and the guild saw her gray irises. The thing was, since he was looking directly into her eyes, only Gajeel was able to see the pain nestled deep within those alluring orbs. A pain he knew all too well, despite the loss of Metalicana, his Iron Dragon foster parent. Emptiness, loneliness, sadness, and… fear? We're swimming amongst the depths of her irises.

While the guild was frozen in shock, Laxus came in through the doors, searching for Lucy within the guild hall. Their comrades took a step back from Lucy as Gajeel said these words in shock and fear, an emotion they thought would never cross the rugged metal mage, "_Oh my god..._"

Lucy looked down at the floorboards in shame. She knew this was bound to happen anyways, so she walked past the stunned guild members and bumped into the person she was expecting that day, Laxus.

Laxus looked at the fragile girl in front of him, and straight into her eyes and saw what Gajeel froze at. Her hands curled into fists as she pounded his chest in anguish, "Laxus," She sobbed. "It's all gone! We sacrificed s-seven y-years of our l-life for what?! Tell me, Laxus. Tell me!" Lucy cried into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "The-they're dead! A-and Fairy T-Tail's been mourning y-yet awaiting o-our return! Why did my parents have to die?" She whispered towards the end. "Michelle had to go away too!"

"Shh, shh. I told, you I'd be your ruined, tear-stained shirt for you. Didn't I?" He felt her head nod in response as they fell to their knees, snapping the guild out of their stupefied trance.

He had found out why Lucy had been so broken, the guild had family to go back to while she didn't because her parents died. He had heard the back-story of Lucy before, how her father only used her as a mere tool, and how her mother left her side at the age of 7. Laxus knew what it was like, but to have your father finally realize his mistakes then be taken away from you before you even had a chance to have a shot at a better relationship. Saying it's rough is an understatement, it's a slight taste of hell, really. Especially when you feel as if you're alone when you've been alone all of your life.

The guild was wondering why Laxus was acting this way towards Lucy, and why she had gone to him in order to let out the pain. Makarov, Gildarts, Gajeel, and the exceeds were the only one's who had noticed her change in demeanor, but never knew her situation was consuming her from the inside out.

Lucy slowly took his coat and headphones off and placed them on him before running away, scared of the rest of the guild's reactions. Too bad Team Natsu were on a mission with Elfman and Lissana, and too bad Lucy was sick that day to avoid this.

She ran and ran and ran, her heart pounding violently in her chest, heaving for air. She heard Laxus open the door she came through and run toward her. This was it, she had succumbed to the guilt and emotions she's kept bottled up all this entire time. Lucy unhooked her keys and whispered to them, "I'm so sorry I let you down, I love you all so, so much." Then she lightly dropped them onto the tree stump she just passed. She stopped when she reached the small cliff, and saw the riverbed below.

"Whoa, Blondie…" Laxus said as he stopped near her. "You gotta rethink this, it's not worth it!" He took one step forwards, as she took one step back.

"You're right, it's not worth it. You know, even the stars they burn, some even fall to Earthland." Lucy said as she fell backwards and into the river underneath.

"LUCYYYY!" Laxus yelled. He lightning teleported himself to the side of the river and lifted her out of the water. He took her keys that he picked up and reattached them to her belt. "You stupid, stupid, blonde…"

Lucy woke and found herself in an unfamiliar bedroom and a hand clutching hers. "Oh thank god you're okay." Laxus sighed in relief. "You stupid, stupid, stupid, blonde-haired mage…" He trailed off. "Don't you ever do that again!" Laxus grasped her shoulders and shook her.

"Don't you dare, ever _think_ about doing something so stupid again!" Tears came from both of their eyes as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

"I promise." Was all she whispered, and celestial mages never break their promises.

"Thank god." Laxus sighed in content once again.

And Lucy's eyes became hickory-brown and warm once again, as their embrace was yet undisturbed.

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❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ • ❀◕ ‿ ◕❀ • ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁

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**DONE!**

**So yeah! I hope you enjoyed this FanFic, if not... whatever, you know?!**

**If you want me to make a one or two shot for a certain pairing you**

**like then either review or PM me and it will be done and out into**

**the open within a week! Anyways, thanks for following, **

**favoriting, reading, and/or reviewing! **

**Thanks Again! ~ Light**

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_**Oh! By the way, if you want me to create a FanFic**_

_**for a pairing of your choice, I do prefer one with**_

_**Lucy in it... So yeah! Also, sorry about the cliff**_

_**part, I didn't have much inspiration so...**_


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